By DEREK RUMBOL
Thursday 06 August 2020
1 PETER 1 : 3-9
A friend kindly passes to me his copy of Christianity magazine when he has read it. He doesn’t need it back so I have a monthly copy to pass on to anyone who would like to read it – a very good read too. (You might have to wait a while for me to read it first!)
In a recent Daily Devotion I mentioned the power of music to provoke, console and inspire us. Then I read in the May edition of this magazine: “When I learn to live life as written in both the major and minor keys I am able to hear the deeper music of my soul.”
At the moment Brenda and I are praying for peace for our niece and her husband. He was due to have a major heart operation this week and was ready in his gown to go to theatre but was then informed that the operation couldn’t take place and he would have to wait until the end of August for it to be done. We have sent two appropriate cards to them with Scripture verses and with prayers and uphold them in our own prayers.
Their favourite hymn at the moment would probably not be ‘All things bright and beautiful’ but may well be ‘Through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy, the praises of my God shall still my heart and tongue employ”.
Professor John Lennox wrote in the May edition: “A Christian is not a person who has solved the problem of human suffering but one who has come to love and trust the God who has suffered for them. …..The corona virus is so called because it resembles a crown (corona in Latin). But our hope is found in another corona – the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus’ head at his trial before the crucifixion.”
The apostle Peter encourages us to praise God for a living hope even though we have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (1 Peter 1:3-9).
In our own fellowship therefore and in our wider world we can sing both hymns mentioned earlier being sensitive to the circumstances each time.